American literature and Irish culture, 1910-1955 : the politics of enchantment

American literature and Irish culture, 1910–1955: the politics of enchantment discusses how and why American modernist writers turned to Ireland at various stages during their careers. By placing events such as the Celtic Revival and the Easter Rising at the centre of the discussion, it shows how Irishness became a cultural determinant in the work of American modernists. Each chapter deals with a different source of influence, considering the impact of family, the Celtic Revival, rural mythmaking, nationalist politics and the work of W. B. Yeats on American modernists’ writings. It is the first study to extend the analysis of Irish influence on American literature beyond racial, ethnic or national frameworks.Through close readings, a sustained focus on individual writers, and in-depth archival research, American literature and Irish culture, 1910–1955 provides a balanced and structured approach to the study of the complexities of American modernist writers’ responses to Ireland. Offering new readings of familiar literary figures – including Fitzgerald, Moore, O’Neill, Steinbeck and Stevens – it makes for essential reading for students and academics working on twentieth-century American and Irish literature and culture, and transatlantic studies. American literature and Irish culture, 1910–55: The politics of enchantment discusses how and why American modernist writers turned to Ireland at various stages during their careers. By placing events such as the Celtic Revival and the Easter Rising at the centre of the discussion, it shows how Irishness became a cultural determinant in the work of American modernists. It is the first study to extend the analysis of Irish influence on American literature beyond racial, ethnic or national frameworks. Through close readings and archival research, American literature and Irish culture, 1910–55 provides a balanced and structured approach to the study of the complexities of American modernist writers'responses to Ireland. Offering new readings of familiar literary figures – including Fitzgerald, Moore, O'Neill, Steinbeck and Stevens – it makes for essential reading for students and academics working on twentieth-century American and Irish literature and culture, and transatlantic studies. Front matter Contents Preface Acknowledgements Introduction: 'Why do we like being Irish?' Cultural and racial (dis)affiliations American modernists and the Celtic Revival Rural Ireland, mythmaking and transatlantic translation Enchantment and disenchantment in political poetry The legacy of Yeats’s poetic conviction Conclusion: Cultural credibility in America's Ireland - and Ireland's America Select bibliography Index Tara Stubbs discusses how and why American modernist writers turned to Ireland at various stages during their careers. By placing events such as the Celtic Revival and the Easter Rising at the centre of the discussion, the book shows how Irishness became a cultural determinant in the work of American modernists This book discusses how and why American modernist writers turned to Ireland at various stages during their careers. By placing events such as the Celtic Revival and the Easter Rising at the centre of the discussion, it shows how Irishness became a cultural determinant in the work of American modernists. -- .